Bango’s latest research underscores the growing appeal of specialist streaming and subscription services in the United States, highlighting both the opportunities and challenges for platforms in a crowded digital marketplace. According to the 2025 report, 32% of Americans currently pay for at least one specialist service beyond mainstream video streaming, such as niche platforms catering to specific interests, hobbies, or communities. This figure reflects an increasing willingness among consumers to diversify their subscription spending in pursuit of more personalized or exclusive content.
The study also shows that this appetite for specialized services comes with a clear demand for convenience. Among U.S. consumers surveyed, 63% expressed a preference for managing all their subscriptions through a single consolidated bill, signaling the importance of streamlined payment solutions in retaining and growing subscriber bases. Paul Larbey, CEO of Bango, noted: “Consumers are clearly telling us that while they’re willing to explore and pay for niche services, they don’t want the hassle of managing multiple payments and accounts. That’s why we see a growing need for platforms to embrace payment aggregation if they want to capture and keep subscribers in this competitive environment.”
Bango’s findings indicate that the trend toward specialist services represents both a diversification of consumer preferences and a pressure point for subscription providers to innovate on user experience. As Larbey emphasized, the data suggests an opportunity for platforms and billing partners alike: “In a market where one in three consumers already subscribe to specialist platforms, removing friction from the payment process is no longer optional—it’s a competitive advantage.”
The report sheds light on how the U.S. subscription economy continues to evolve beyond the dominance of large SVOD players, opening new revenue streams for niche offerings while reinforcing the necessity of simplicity and convenience in subscription management. Platforms that can deliver targeted value while minimizing payment complexity stand to benefit most from this growing segment of engaged, paying users.